PLEASE tell me I'm not wrong to be horrified by this...

[Chef Troy]

I went into the men's room today to turn in that iced tea I rented, and there was a man standing at one of the urinals, apparently talking to himself as he took a whiz. as I walked past him, I realized he was talking on a cell phone while actively engaged in micturition.

Worse yet, from what I overheard it was a business conversation. And this bathroom is small and echo-ey... I'm sure whoever this cellular exhibitionist was talking to could clearly hear not only the roar of Porcelain Falls but also assorted toilet flushes, unfettered gas passage, and the like.

I was appalled. I know LBJ used to make people have meetings with him while he was on the john as an intimidation tactic, but come ON... I hope no one ever calls ME from the men's room unless it's an emergency.

Has anyone else encountered this?

[Brunetter]

Yeah you are right to be appalled.

I remember Baglady's (I think) thread a little while ago saying that you knew you were secure in a relationship when you could fart in the other person's prescence.

For me, that test is talking to someone whilst "doing the business".

Few people have EVER gotten that close to me.

[wring]

Thank you for the visual.

seriously. This way I get to tell another one of my favorite "ex" stories.

He apparently was working part time at an Archery shop, they had a cell phone. He was talking to a friend on this cell phone, had to go, kept the conversation going until....

plop plop yep, he dropped his boss' s cell phone into the toilet.

yep. keep 'em comin' Chef, he's given me a million of 'em

[magdalene]

I started an IMHO thread about this not too long ago - Is it disgusting to take a pee break when you are on the phone with a friend? or something like that. Most people said no, but then, we weren't taking about public restrooms.

[Silver Fire]

I was sitting at my mom's house and my cousin was there, on the phone with a friend. She asked me if I could keep an eye on her kid for a minute so, natually, I asked where she was going. She cups her hand over the phone and whispers, "I have to pee." I told her to put the phone down, or hang up and call the person back, but she wouldn't. So, being the big meanie that I am, I said (quite loudly), "Wow, Sally*, you can piss and talk on the phone at the same time? Talented." Or something similar. She was pretty mad but she didn't bring the phone with her into the bathroom. Gross.

*Name has been changed.

[plnnr]

Time to wake up and smell the coffee. Either Dear Abby or Ann Landers addressed this very subject in today's (10/16/00) column. Her conclusion: a cellular telephone in the bathroom is a no-no (unless its an emergency). So, there you have it.

[Eve]

Well, I get grossed out when people are EATING while talking on the phone. Yuck.

I have a friend who constantly calls me when he's noshing and slurping away. "Why don't you call back when you're through eating?" I'll ask. "No, that's OK," he'll say. "NO, it's NOT," I'll sweetly reply, and hang up. He still hasn't gotten the hint.

[elelle]

To quote James Brown:

"It's a Man's Man's Maaaaaannnn's World!"

Bleccchh.

[Sunshine]

Well, I MUST be in a secure relationship. Or at least Mr. Sunshine is. When he has to poo and there is nothing to read...he calls me instead. At work. It goes something like this:

<ring>
Me: (answering phone) This is Sunshine.
Mr.: Hi Honey...what'cha doin'?
Me: Hi Sweetie! (all happy that he called me at work) Nothing much...just working, you know...what are you up to?
Mr.: pause Nothing...what's happening at work? (asking leading questions to make me babble and entertain him)
Me: Hm...well, remember how I told you blah blah blah...blah blah blah blah blah?
Mr.: (silence)
Me: Sweetie? Are you there?
Mr.: grunt
Me: Honey, what are you doing?
Mr.: Hm? strain
Me: Are you going to the bathroom? (whispered so the next cubicle won't hear me)
Mr.: Yes.
Me: laughing and groaning at the same time Ewww, honey! Gross!
Mr.: defensively Well, there was nothing to read!

And so on...aren't you glad I opened that little window into the World of Sunshine?

[DavisMcDavis]

Originally posted by Eve
I have a friend who constantly calls me when he's noshing and slurping away. "Why don't you call back when you're through eating?" I'll ask. "No, that's OK," he'll say. "NO, it's NOT," I'll sweetly reply, and hang up. He still hasn't gotten the hint.

Ugh, I hate that! My boyfriend does that and it bugs me out.

Even worse, I have a friend who I'll be speaking to and after several minutes I'll hear the toilet flush.

"Oh, were you peeing?" I'll ask, sad to realize that I had heard no peeing but still hopeful...

"No."

"Damn you!"

[BunnyGirl]

A secretary here at the law firm I work at regularly gets dictation tapes from her boss with the sounds of the toilet flushing and other ahem sounds emerging from the tape.

I told her I'd refuse to do them if I was her. That's just down right disgusting and RUDE. Ewwwweeeeeewwww - makes me gross out just thinking about it.

[techchick68]

If you gotta go you gotta go.

Well, I will not talk with a business associate on the phone while on the potty but a close friend? Sure why not.

I refuse to take a poo while on the phone though I do draw that line though.

[Dogzilla]

You are not wrong... that indeed, is horrifying. To me, at least.

[slight hijack]

I went to visit my attorney recently. His asst. asked me to wait in the little waiting area. (This is a TINY office in an old building.) Evidently, the restroom is right next to the reception area...

I heard my attorney pee, flush and then he came right on out to greet me! Did you catch the part that's missing?

He didn't wash his hands! Thank goodness, he didn't seem to expect me to shake his hand after that. I made a point not to, and also refused to touch anything he handed me.

I was horrified. He may as well have invited me in to join him in there. Eyyyeeewwww....

[Archer]

We some friends that installed speaker phones in each and every room of their home. They both have their elderly parents living with them and they could use the speaker phones as a type of intercom. This couple has become acclimated to using the speaker phones at any and all times. It is not unusual to hear someone in the background brushing their teeth and gargling, showering and God forbid, bombing the throne. You never quite get used to it.

[Shadowfox]

Originally posted by BunnyGirl
A secretary here at the law firm I work at regularly gets dictation tapes from her boss with the sounds of the toilet flushing and other ahem sounds emerging from the tape.

As a person who types medical reports from physicians' dictations, I can attest that hearing a toilet flush in the background on the tape is definitely one of my pet peeves. I also have clients who frequently eat, burp, snort, cough, etc., into the dictations on a regular basis. I know, the bathroom thing is pretty gross, but listening to a woman chomp on gum, like a sow chewing on a cud, while trying to dictate can be almost as bad to the ears.

Anyways, back to the OP. My dearest, sweetest friend in the world routinely carries the phone into the bathroom (in her own home ) while talking to people on the phone, but can't stand seeing people on cell phones in public bathrooms. In her opinion, what you do in your own home is one thing, but there are just some things you don't do in public, and using a cell phone while taking a dump in a crowded bathroom is one of them.

[Persephone]

I was at work one day and my husband called me. We we're just chatting, when all of a sudden, I hear the toilet flush. "Honey, you did not just use the bathroom while engaged in conversation with me, did you?" says I. "Yeah, what's the problem?" he says. "That's just rude!" I said. "Oh come on," he says. "It's not like I was taking a dump or anything!" "I don't care," I replied. "Just don't do that anymore, okay?"

I don't think it's rude to put the phone down when you need to relieve yourself. But there's just something about talking on the phone while going potty that is just not right. And doing it in a public restroom is out of the question, except in a truly dire emergency.

[sailor]

So, is it also rude to talk on the phone while naked or not properly dressed? Should I put on some formal clothes before answering the phone?

The way I see it, if the other person hears me flush the toilet or knows what I am doing, then *that* is rude but I can't see why it would be rude if she doesn't know.

What I hate is people who call me and eat while they talk, or I can see their attention is on something else or they put me on the speakerphone.

[Catrandom]

Originally posted by sailor
The way I see it, if the other person hears me flush the toilet or knows what I am doing, then *that* is rude but I can't see why it would be rude if she doesn't know.

Ah, but they do know, that's the point (or we wouldn't all be having this conversation, would we? ) It's all but impossible to gauge what can be heard over the line, and people may be horrified, but won't necessarily mention it to you. Best not to take the chance of offending.

[Zenster]

::eating noises in background::

Me: Sounds good! (Enthusiastic voice)


::toilet flush in background::

Me: Everything come out all right? (Concerned tone)

[Stoid]

I think "horrified" is a little strong. I use the telephone while on the loo all the time. Usually just for a tinkle, and I don't flush or make other give-away noises unless it's a very good friend.


I think grunting, groaning, plopping, and announcing what your'e doing is pretty disgusting. But sneaking it it ok.

stoid

[bare]

I would guess you are all hypocrites... I am usually asked to put a telephone jack in the bathroom, new construction or old. It's just another way to stay connected.

Now, whom among you refuse to have a telephone in the "private room"?

[Shadowfox]

Originally posted by bare
I would guess you are all hypocrites... I am usually asked to put a telephone jack in the bathroom, new construction or old. It's just another way to stay connected.

Now, whom among you refuse to have a telephone in the "private room"?

Well that explains why there is a telephone jack in my downstairs bathroom (it was there when we moved in). I thought it was some kind of a anomaly. I had never seen a telephone jack in a bathroom before until then.

[Chef Troy]

Originally posted by Stoidela
I think "horrified" is a little strong. I use the telephone while on the loo all the time. Usually just for a tinkle, and I don't flush or make other give-away noises unless it's a very good friend.

I think grunting, groaning, plopping, and announcing what your'e doing is pretty disgusting. But sneaking it it ok.

stoid

Re-read the OP. I was horrified because this troglodyte was conducting what appeared to be a business call on a cell phone while in a loud, echoing public bathroom environment rich with VERY loud pissing and flushing sounds that could not possibly have gone unheard by the other party.

Bare: I would not refuse to have a phone jack in the bathroom at home, because there are legitimate reasons for it to be there - "I've fallen and I can't get up" emergencies, for example, or so one can talk on the phone while in the bathtub - but that doesn't mean I'm going to call someone while I'm pinching off a loaf. And certainly not while I'm doing something that sounds like I'm pouring a whole pitcher of water onto a flat rock.

[Eve]

Of course there are good reasons for having a phone in the bathroom!

How else are you to lounge in your bubble bath and talk about your affair with Norma Shearer's husband while Ros Russell perches on the edge of the tub and makes wisecracks?

[Tansu]

I did find it slightly odd when I phoned my best friend (male, totally platonic) and he answered from the bathtub, drinking a Martini and lemonade.

I'm not an easily grossed out sort of person, but I did get a slight touch of the eeeews when he said 'oh, I'm in the bath' halfway through the conversation, and I imagined him naked, sudsy and clutching a Martini.

Same friend called me on my cellphone just as I was going into a public toilet. I answered because I abhor a ringing phone. I can understand that the etiquette is to not make calls while on the loo, but what about receiving calls?

[SuperNelson]

I have a cordless headset at work, and quite often move from office to printer to server on the phone. And, occasionally, I sneak into the restroom when I feel I have to continue to listen to an ongoing conversation, but don't anticipate having anything to say for a few minutes.

And, yes, I have a mute switch, and yes, I do use it.

[TroubleAgain]

I have used a cell phone in a public restroom, but only when talking to my husband and only when no one else was in there. Otherwise, eeeewwwww.

[lurkernomore]

Originally posted by bare
I would guess you are all hypocrites... I am usually asked to put a telephone jack in the bathroom, new construction or old. It's just another way to stay connected.

You know, now that I think of it, I've been in several hotels that have phones in the bathroom...still, i don't generally call people from there. Iadmit carrying the cordless in there during an informal conversation - not business, not someone I know only casually.

[Ceejaytee]

I grew up in an apartment that had a bathroom phone. Of course, my dad is a phone-aholic--we had six phones in a 5-room apartment and there was no phone in the living room. How'd that work?

1) Downstairs in the vestibule (garden apartment, second floor, entrance at ground level) so you didn't have to run upstairs to answer the phone if you were outside.
2) My bedroom
3) The kitchen
4) The bathroom
5) My parents' room
6) My sisters' room

Before the days of the answering machine, if I was the only person in the house, I would answer the phone in the bathroom (located conveniently on the wall above the toilet, within easy reach). I know my father certainly did. He has a phone in the bathroom in his current place too.

BTW, business calls in the bathroom--ewwwww.

[RonA]

All this talk about going to the bathroom....I, uh.....ummm, excuse me while I.........